A Different Kind of Magic--UNDERGOING EDIT

I expect many of you skipped yesterday's chapter and are chomping at the bit for today's. Here ya go. No warnings in this chapter. It has Lucius in it but anything icky that happens is implied and not described in any manner.



Chapter 60- New Recruit

Lucius’s cold gaze settled on the man in the chair before him. His aloof, critical manner scanned facial features for signs of fear or deception. His gaze flicked up to Rabastan’s and back to the man he had brought to this meeting.

“Rabastan, common sense should warn you that I do not like surprises,” he said in a haughty manner, twirling his robes to settle in the chair behind his desk.

“Explain.”

Rabastan dearly hoped Minerva’s gamble was going to pay off. If it did not, Fishwick’s, if not his own life, were forfeit. He easily would fight Lucius to the death, but was extremely wary of the fact that if the man had risen to such a place of hidden power, there was more to the man he was forced to call Lord then what he was privy to.

“My Lord, I will not burden you with insincere apology. I present to you Professor Colin Fishwick. He is a recent new hire at Hogwarts, hailing from the United States.”

Lucius’s eyes flicked from Rabastan back to Fishwick.

“Go on,” he drawled, steepling his fingers meditatively.

“I was charged with approving Professor Fishwick’s application and credentials. I discovered something interesting in his application. One of his references was a former colleague of my brother’s. The reference is a highly esteemed Potions master in the American city of Chicago. Rodolphus used to deal with the man’s father for illegal ingredients smuggled from South American countries that are difficult to procure through European underground networks.”

Lucius nodded slowly, keeping both men in his line of sight but looking between them.

“When I confronted Fishwick about this reference he was not entirely forthcoming. Upon presenting him with certain identifying knowledge I possessed and the standard coercion,” Rabastan spat the last word to indicate implied torture, “he was more than helpful in identifying the true nature of his allegiance with his American counterparts.”

“Which is?” Lucius tapped impatiently with the head of his cane on the desk.

“Cutting to the chase,” Rabastan sneered at Colin who sat stony faced beside the towering figure, “he was playing sides in the drug war between America and Mexico.”

“Ah, now that interests me,” Lucius’ eyes lit up as he leaned forward across the table, fixing Colin in his sights. “What kind of… duplicity where you involved in, Mr. Fishwick?” The man may not look frightened, but it was beginning to radiate off him in increasing waves. The smell was intoxicating. Lucius loved a man under his cock that cowered in submission. It made them easier to control.

Colin answered in a flat monotone. “I was an undercover agent for the DEA posing as a Professor during a student exchange, which was cover for a set-up. I really am a Professor, by the way. My old man forced me into the family business of illegal potions ingredient smuggling.” He grimaced visibly, clearly not enjoying the memory.

“My father had double crossed this Alvarez character, the Headmaster of a Venezuelan University, several years prior. The DEA knew about my father’s involvement with the South American universities and the increasing drug problems, including smuggling illegal potions ingredients across the Mexican border. They had all the information they needed but no evidence, so they couldn’t bust the case open and prosecute my father. They also wanted to bring the big fish, Alvarez, down with him. Alvarez was the boss man of the entire South American operation. Still is, as far as I know.

“Of course, my involvement was suspected because of my family connection. I was approached by the DEA to work for them. They offered me immunity from prosecution in any dealings with the family, as well as keeping my reputation, profession and home.

“I was to infiltrate the ranks of the Venezuelan university by propositioning the Headmaster with a deal. I used the wiretapped payphone in the lobby that the head agent told me to use to signal when the deal was going to go down. I had told the agent I was going to retrieve a Pensieve vial from one of the DEA agents to make an exchange with the Headmaster. Alvarez wanted sensitive information the DEA possessed in exchange for the drugs and illegal ingredients we were requesting. I told the head agent to meet me in five minutes outside the university in his unmarked car.

“This is where I double crossed both sides. I retrieved the Pensieve vial from an agent and went back up to the Headmaster’s office. I gave him the vial. The Headmaster was supposed to go with me down to the lobby and Port Key to an undisclosed location so he could view the contents of the Pensieve. Then I’d return with him and the Headmaster to supposedly hand over the drugs so the DEA could make the arrest. It was all in the supposed spirit of a new and lucrative undercover trade agreement, you know, the whole dirty cop routine.

"Anyway, I told Alvarez to go down to the lobby without me and I’d be right with him but stopped off in the nearest restroom. He didn’t realize I had taken the Port Key off him. It was all too easy, really.”

Colin stretched his legs and continued. Lucius had both eyebrows raised, clearly enjoying the tale.

“So the DEA agents were all waiting in hiding around the Lobby to take Alvarez down. I guess he didn’t appear, because I later found out he had never been apprehended. They never did pin him down. Anyway, Alvarez had put men outside the perimeter of the University grounds and took the agents hostage when they realized it was a set-up.

“I had immediately Port-Keyed to the undisclosed place Alvarez had set up. It was an abandoned mill factory, and the ingredients and drugs were sat in a neat little pile next to a Pensieve fountain. Of course, he had placed several men to guard it, but a couple of well-timed Avada Kedavra’s took care of them.”

Lucius looked almost impressed. Almost.

“I took the goods back home and made a smashing profit. Alvarez’s men took care of all the DEA agents. No one was left alive to know that I had betrayed them.”

“But you didn’t count on Alvarez getting away, did you?” he finished.

“No. I took a sick day from work, and my replacement was killed on his way to my job. When the guy pulled into my parking space he was killed instantly.”

“So that’s what brings you to England.”

“Yes.”

“And how were you able to pull off fooling everyone else with your paperwork except for Rabastan?”

Colin shrugged. “It’s not hard to learn how to fake a few documents.”

“Didn’t you think anyone would know of your connections back home?”

“Honestly sir, no I did not. How was I to know there would be someone at a remote boarding school in Scotland that would know someone from my past?”

“Ah, a calculated, but foolish risk: but one that could have happened to almost anyone.” Lucius leaned back in his chair again, nodding to himself.

“Rabastan, have you verified his claims?”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Very good. So the question remains, how can this man be of use to me?”

“I require his assistance during my absences at Hogwarts.”

“I told you I would take care of that already.”

“Yes, My Lord. He would be a most useful ally to corroborate my alibis for being gone.”

Lucius stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Very well. In that case, you may also bring him along when you are both able, to further our endeavor to its utmost conclusion.”

“Very good, My Lord.”

“Leave us, Rabastan. I wish to speak with Colin- alone.”

“My Lord? We are expected back at the castle.”

“You deign to question me?” Lucius flew up from his seat, scattering papers across his desk.

“No My Lord. Forgive me.” Rabastan bowed as he walked backwards out of the door, closing the door tightly while praying Lucius wouldn’t be too hard on poor Fishwick. The poor bastard really had no clue what he was in for when he had insisted on helping Rabastan. There was nothing he could do now. It was all trial by fire at this point, and Colin’s suffering wouldn’t be less than anyone else’s in the game of stopping a madman’s ascent to power.

He gritted his teeth when the screams came from the office, settling against the wall to wait for it to be over.

--


Minerva’s mouth was set to a thin white line when Rabastan brought Colin back to her office after their visit to Malfoy. The terror in the poor man’s eyes and the disheveled state of his clothing told her more than she wished to know.

“It is done. He is in.”

“Did he question the story?”

“No. I told him I had checked out his story and found it to be solid.”

“Do you think he may look beyond your word for himself?”

“No ma’am, Lucius is too lazy to do something someone else can do for him.”

“A true Malfoy,” she smiled wryly. “Colin, I trust you will make a full recovery?”

“Yes ma’am,” he nodded weakly.

“Do you wish to tell me what happened between you and Malfoy?”

“No Minerva, I don’t.” Colin turned his face away from her pointedly.

“I understand. I wish to thank you for aiding Rabastan in his mission. It will make it just a bit more bearable for him. Your sacrifice is duly noted.”

With a curt nod, she dismissed the two men so Colin could visit the infirmary.

“Oh Albus, I am so sorry.”

“For what, my dear?”

“For all that you had to go through as Headmaster. The terrible decisions you had to make, and the suffering you knew others endured in the quest to defeat the Dark Lord. How did you stand it?”

“I didn’t.”

She looked at his portrait apprehensively. “What do you mean?”

“I drank excessively.”

“Albus!”

“Well, what did you expect me to say?”

“I never saw you inebriated!”

“I hid it rather well, didn’t I?” His eyes twinkled in inappropriate merriment.

“You don’t expect me to touch such poison just to alleviate my worry, do you?”

“Not at all, my dear. How you alleviate your stress is entirely a personal matter.”

“Thank you for that obvious assessment,” she returned dryly. “Now if you don’t mind, I believe I have some Firewhisky left over from your tenure around here somewhere.”

The portrait of Dumbledore smiled merrily, but said nothing.